I’ve owned an iPad since shortly after the device debuted, and I swore that I’d never use a keyboard case. I had a MacBook Air to use when I wanted a portable device with a full keyboard. I also didn’t like the idea of turning my iPad into a Frankenstein device, with accessories bolted onto it. My thinking on this has recently turned 180 degrees, though – I’m now sporting a new Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case on my iPad.

What caused the change was a reevaluation of my priorities, and a change in my gear. Previously, I was all about portability. I wanted my iPad to be thin and light. Lately, though, I realized that I wasn’t using my iPad as much as I could have been, because I have an unhealthy aversion to using onscreen keyboards.

I also have gradually upgraded from an 11 inch MacBook Air to a 13 inch Air, to my current 15 inch MacBook Pro. With a three year-old in the house, I don’t just grab my MacBook at a whim. There’s something about that glowing Apple logo that draws my daughter to it, with her little hands grabbing for the screen and the keys.

The iPad, on the other hand, was something I could open up and use for a few minutes here and there. That’s become even more common now that I have a bluetooth keyboard case on the iPad. I had a document to work on over the weekend, and did most of it in 10 minute spurts several times over the course of the weekend. That wouldn’t have been possible for me before.

There are compromises with having a keyboard case on the iPad. The most notable compromise is that the iPad is heavier, and not as comfortable to use in bed. I’ve found, though, that if I keep it open in landscape mode, with the keyboard on my lap or chest, I can use it without even noticing it. Another issue is that the iPad doesn’t stay on the stand that I use when eating breakfast in the morning. My solution is to just open the iPad up in landscape mode now.

I’ll see if this setup sticks for me. Right now, though, I like be able to use the full power of my iPad, wherever I go.